Known in the art are connecting members from a biological tissue which are adapted for increasing the suture tightness and improving its tenacity to avoid post-operational complications.
Thus, in operations on intestine as sealing connecting members for the above-mentioned purposes epipolic shields are used (cf. A. A. Zaporozhets "Vestnik Khirurgii im. Grekova", (Grekov Surgical Newsletters,) 1964, No. 1, p. 52).
However, a reliable fixation of tissues is not ensured in this case owing to low tenacity characteristics of the epiploic tissue. Furthermore, the use of epiploic shields does not exclude the formation of commissures.
It is also known to employ for the same purposes, in the case of reinforcing an esophageal membrane, a free dermal autotransplantant (cf. T. T. Daurova, A. P. Majsyuk. Experimental Surgery (Eksperimental'naya Khirugiya), 1959, No. 6, p. 37). The use of a dermal autotransplantant ensures a more reliable fixation as compared to epiploic shields, but this necessitates a more complicated preliminary operation with the formation of a new additional trauma. Furthermore, the use of connecting members of a biological tissue is associated with post-operational complications due to disruption (unsoundness) of the suture because of frequent suppurations and the occurrence of extremely undesirable commissural processes is observed.
Known in the art is a material for connecting members for soft tissues and inner organs based on biodegradable synthetic polymers, namely polyvinylformal (cf. T. T. Daurova, A. P. Majsyuk. Eksperimentalnaja Khirurgija, 1959, No. 6, p. 37).
However, in the use of this material a low biodegradation of the material takes place and the period of resorption is longer than the period of regeneration of the soft tissues. Furthermore, the use of such connecting members is accompanied by complications such as purulent pleurisy or mediastinitis resulting in death of 60% of experimental animals. Postoperation complications associated with disrupture (unsoundness) of the suture also take place due to frequent suppurations, accumulation of serous fluid, or with a total rejection. Because of the above-mentioned disadvantages the polyvinyl-formal-based material has found no practical applications in the medical practice.